Andersons Bay School principal David McWhinnie (56) says there will be a strange mixture of sadness and excitement when he retires at the end of this term.
"I'm going to miss the pupils most. I love their spontaneity. They have such enthusiasm for school.
"I don't know how it will feel to lock the school doors for the last time. I'll see it as the end of an era and the start of a new phase in my life."
Mr McWhinnie began his teaching career in Southland at Otatara School in 1973 and went on to teach at Hawthorndale and Limehills Schools.
His first appointment to principal was at Kauana School (Southland) in 1979 and he held a string of deputy principal jobs at Otautau, Rosebank, Andersons Bay and Kenmure Intermediate Schools before returning to Andersons Bay as principal in 1990.
While the view from his office window of Andersons Bay inlet and Otago Harbour had been a major draw to the school, the staff were the main source of his attraction, he said.
"One of the nice things about teaching at Andersons Bay School is the staff. They are fun and they have a great sense of humour, but they are also professional and hard-working."
He also credited the parents and board of trustees at the school for generating his passion for teaching.
During his career, Mr McWhinnie has been Dare Otago chairman (1990-2000), Dare New Zealand deputy chairman and Otago Primary Principals Association executive member (1996-2008) and president (1999).
He still teaches mathematics for an hour each day and says - with utmost certainty - he has taught 1572 pupils since he started at Andersons Bay School.
He is proud of his pupils and keeps a personal scrapbook of all past and present pupils who appear in Dunedin's media.
Mr McWhinnie plans to take six months "R and R" while completing some principal appraisals for several Dunedin schools.
"After that, we'll see what opportunities are out there. My next career path will not necessarily be in education," he said.
His replacement, Fairfield School deputy principal Hamish McDonald, will take over in term 3.
